A .DAY TVITH SOME PRUSSIAN 1 GYMNASTS. j(From the Australasian.') ON. summer, not so many years ago, I took a six weeks' trip into Prussia, by way of London and Hamburg. After seeing Berlin and its new and glorious statue of Frederick the Great (something like a monument that !) I found myself at anchor, so to speak, in the small town of Newstadt for three Swhole weeks. Our party was a small one, consisting of a Prussian gentleman (recently become a naturalised Englishman), three. 'young lads, and myself.- -We will-call- my' Prussian friend Biideker, and introduce him; at the Esame time to my readers as a genial, kind, muscular fellow, whom everyone liked and -nobody shunned. ,He was :the life ,ofi any company he found himself 'in, ever! making fun, with an inventive genius for -amusement perfectly wonderful. Well-- dressed, clean, pleasantly bejewelled, he had on the surface but one fault, and that I must pardon him for, since I learnt to imitate him that same summer-he was never w...

GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR THE . _ - WEEK. (Frost the Australasian.) TH KITorIEN GARDEN. - The principal work here will be a routine of thinning out, hoeing, and mulching between the advanc ing crops. The main crops of French beans and runners should be sown, and peas may be sown every fortnight, for succession. Attend to sticking advancing crops of peas and runner beans. Plant out cabbage and coss lettuce on rich soil; sow a pinch of- seed at intervals of about ten days. During the' summer months we find it best at this season to sow lettuces in drills, to be afterwards thinned out. Water will require to be given to recently-planted crops, and where mulching can be applied it will save much extra labour. Attention must now be given to celery; liberal soakings of liquid-manure at this season will be required to create a quick growth. The quality of celery during summer depends entirely on its rapidity of growth and thorough blanching; we prefer one good earthing-up when the celery has...

STHE NEWSPAPEIR- TAX;. .. :: ,'?? .(From the Empire.) , '.GENTLExMAN in Victoria has offered a -ie T ward of ten guineas for the best essay on the impolioy of the newspaper tax. The com petition is open to all residents of the Austra lian colonies, and the time allowed.is until the 110th January, 1869. We feel assured that there will be many competitors in New South Wales for the reward offered; and with the view of supplying those who wish to enter the lists with some information relative to the "working of the newspaper tax in this colony, 'we have extracted from the annual reports of the registrar-general, from the official revenue returnes of the colonial treasurer, and from other-reliable sources, some facts and figures bearing upon the subject. The newspaper tax was first imposed in New South Wales about forty years since by Governor Darling. It was so unpopular, however, and excited so much discontent that after a very short time it had to be abandoned. During Sir George Fitz...

SCHAFER THE TRAVELLER'S ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. (From the Auckland .erald.) WHrAT caused Schafer to attempt to perpe trate the rash act no one knows. Whether it was the pang of despised love, or the con tumely of the Mlaories and the contempt of the pakehas, it is impossible to tell; or that his funds had run out, and he found it, as many in Auckland have done before, rather a hard thing to raise the wind. At all events, he has been very wild and eccentric in his conduct lately, and on Sunday night was found on the wharf bareheaded, and with a large knife in his pocket. He was then seen by the police and taken to his lodgings; and he then, apparently, came to the conclusion that the best way to commit suicide was to throw himself from Custom house-street in broad daylight, and when the place was crowded with people. How ever, about two o'clock, it being then high tide, Schafer came to the edge of Custom house-street, near the wharf, and peered over very curiously, as if he were examining...

TsnenRDAY-?BOMsBER 10. In the Assembly, Mr. Parkes gave notice of a motion for a detail of travelling expenses paid to Mr. Robertson, Mr. Cow per, and other ministers. The same gentleman gave notice that he should move that papers now in his possession relative to the attempted assassination of the Duke of Edinburgh, be laid on the table, and printed. Mr. Robertson moved the adoption of an address to the Queen, thanking her Majesty for the present to the parliamentary library of two of her Majesty's books. . Mr. Martin seconded the address, which was agreed to. Mr. Robertson moved the adjournment of the House, in order to offer a few words of personal ex planation with reference to a portion of a letter from him (Mr. Robertson) to Mr. Windeyer, and to which the latter gentleman objected. After some remarks from Mr. Windeyer, Mr. Samuel, and Mr. Driver, Mr. Robertson replied, and the motion was'put and negatived. Mr. Macleay moved for the papers in the posses sion of the government r...

FRIDAY-DEaEMBsER 11. IN the Legislative Assembly, Ministers, in answer to questions, said-that about £15,000 was due from Victoria to this colony, under the customs treaty, at the end of last quarter; and that a prisoner named Charles Miller, alias Meares, alias Smith, alias Homer, supposed to have some knowledge of a Fenian conspiracy, had been liberated from Darlinghuret gaol, in May last, by order from the principal under secretary, and that such person was a man of very bad character. Mr. Martin rose to move the adjournment of the House, in order to call attention to the leading article in that morning's Herald, in which was made the statement that during the time the late govern. ment were in office, there had loen a sum of £15,000 which, in some way or other, had gone astray. This was in fact an adoption of certain remarks made by Mr. Robertson on a former day. He com plained that whilst this statement had been adopted, no notice had been taken of the denial and chal lenge to ...

THE IMPOSSIBLE WOMAN. (Froh te' "Queen.) CLYx? looking oneat the unseemly,'contro versy now raging between the sexes, and: gathering from!the current literature whati man expects from woman, we fear there is nothing in store but failure on the one side and disappointment on the other. In the first plaeothe being that man describes as a help. meet' foi" him -is n6t tob.te.. found on earth--was not found in.Paradise, amid the innocence, freshness, and beauty of the first creation. In early ages of the world the' sois of God became enamoured of the' daughters of men; the reverse is now the case--the sons of men are aspiring, ini theory at least, to the angels of heaven. The impossible woman, that every man. seeks for, and no man ever finds, is an angel -not only a perfect being but a compound of all perfections. She must be richly dowered, but know nothing of the value or vulgarity of wealth; she must be young, yet have all the' wisdom of. age; beautiful; yet totally unconscious of her...

GARDENING: OPERATIONS' FOR THE } WEEK. (From the Auastralasian.) THE KrIcEN GARD.N.--A season more favourable for vegetation generally could hardly. be desired. Frequent showers and a sufficiency of heat have had the effect of producing a rapid growth, which, up to the present. time, could hardly be surpassed. Vegetables of all kinds are abundant and ??ood. 'Where previous directiohs'have: been -attended to, the principal crops will now be in a forward state, and for the present little will be required besides the usual routine of hoeing,' thinning, and keeping the soil well loosened up amongst advancing - crops. This operation' not only pulverises the soil, but acts as a mulching to all growing crops, keeping the. soil moist and free, so as to encourage roots to penetrate deeply, and be out of all danger of drought. Proceed with taking up early crops of potatoes, so that the ground may be manured and thoroughly dug previous to getting in a crop of autumn ;vegetables. Finish earthin...

Our Christmas Publication. Ir Agents, Advertisers, Correspondents, ?Sb.scribers,)snd others interested are .hereby" rifored that, in consequence of Christmas happeng .on Friday, this journal will be: -,Ulished at five b'clock in the afternoon of Tkursday, the 24th instant, instead of on Sat.urday morning of that week. Our tele graphic and other agents and correspondents, as well as intending advertisers, will oblige by: forwarding their favours in good time to q-, sure publication in that day's issue. ' '

ANOTHER' ,GREAT FIRE IN DEVON STREET, 'TARANAKIT., (F om the, T2rariaki Herald.) S'On'Tuesday `norning, the 24th' instant, ea4bixt 1.30 h.m., the inhabitants of this town were again aroused from their 'alumbers by the ominous toll of the fire-bell. The scene of the conflagration was on the north side of Devon-street, between Liardet and COurrie streets, and commenced in a building known as Bartlett's' boarding house. Before scarcely the alarm was given the back part of the premises was in 'flames, and Mr. Lowry, who resided next door, had only time to escape with his family before the whole house was on fire. The wind was blowing etrongly at the time from the south-west, which fanned the flames over the adjoining houses, leaving little hope for saving any building from the spot where it commenced to Liardet street. Lowry's house was soon con sumed, as was also the one recently occupied by 'Mr. E. M. Smith; and then Mr. E. J. Cudd's furniture warehouse and grocery store fell. a sacri...

S -LATEST "'FhOr i"NEW ZEA?lt ND.,--" , ,. iE LtaNOTON, November 16th.' Tn . .Ahuriri, which arrived .at Napier this! .. orning,.: reports .that the Big River settle" ,:!ment' has been destroyed, and that the' S. rebels wero in full force 'there to the numbe'r S of"five hundred. Four friendlies were 'shot by them,' and ': seven tied' up for execution. The Europeans at Turanganui numbered twenty-five, together with two. hundred .:. friendlies, and were engaged in entrenching :themselves there. Broomfield's house had -been' biirnt, and it was dangerous to leave the place. , Morgan's natives had refused to proceed thither, 'saying they had enough to do' to .defend their own settlement. Little is known here about the Big Bay settlement except that it is in Poverty Bay. and contains very few Europeans. The war steamer Rosario is at Tauranga. Affairs in the Waikato district wear a "'threatening aspect, and the authorities here are said to be on the alert. ..... . ....NAPI n, November 16th...

Q otoniat 4xtrntta. :,CRUEL DESERTION OF A FAsILY.---Yester 'day imorning a woman passed through Yass in company of a-man, whose name we. are not in possession of, whose base and unnatural con duct deserves exposure. It appears the woman's husband and parents resi 'e not far from Foxlowe. Her husband left his home some time ago to carry loading to Little Bom bay, and during his absence his wife aban doned her home and family of seven children, to tramp along the road in company with the associate who yesterday passed through this town. Her father followed the heartless woman, and traced her to One-tree Hill, and .from thence to her place of encampment near O'Brien Bridse. at which locality she was on last Sunday night. His efforts to persuade her to leave the man in whose company she was and to return to her large and young family were unsuccessful, and he then applied to the police to see if they could assist him by hoving her arrested. It appears the police in *such cases have no ...

loqai and ýistltikt w ions. ENLARGEMENT OF THE JAIL.-The long talked-of enlargement of the Queanhbeyan jail is at length to be realised. Tenders are called for in our adjoining columns for the necessary works. The additions comprisecof new quarters for the jailor, consisting of' oedroom and sitting room each 15 feet by 14 feet; two additional cells 20 feet by 9 ft., and 10 feet by 9 feet respectively; passages and lobby with watch-tower over; kitchens for jailor and prisoners' use. Between the jailor's quarters and these there is a yard. enclosed by high 14-inch brick walls and large folding gates. At the rear of these additions which are separated from the old building by a passage forming an entrance to the establishment, there is to be a large yard, 105 feet by 85 feet, for the daily air ing and exercise of the male prisoners. In the centre of this is a large shed with tables and seats; a well is to be sunk in this yard and patent earth closets, &amp;c., erected. The present ...

SYDNEY. : : Wecdnesday Mr Parkes "laid on the table of the Legis lative A`sembly yesterday night, papers of which he .had possession connected with the alleged -Fenian conspiracy. It appears frodm the papers that Mr Parkes' allegation ais' to the existence of the co ispiracy was :based upon statements found in a diary of O'Farrell's and of representations made by O'Farrell, verballysupported by reports from the Inspector General of Police on the sub. ject. Mr Samuel has. given notice that the house shall to-day go into a Committee of Ways and Mean's and also intoa Comumittee0 of Supply. : The election of Chairman of Conmmittees is also set down for to-day,, Mr. Garre.tt is to be proposed. by the Government, and 'Mr Burns by the Oppositioni. Insolvencies, Htugh McGowen of Cles hhunt Park, Tanner;,.:Joseph Drayton, near Branxton. r °James Gannon was ithis;inorning".comuit •ted for trial, having been:charged with per :sonating an elector' with the intention' of voting for a candidate a...

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. "SOUtTH -AUSTRALIA. - .'" AnDEL IDE, 16th Dec. 1868. :D. ffield's new flour mill was destroyed this morning by fire. It was burnt to the ground. i The cause of the fire is at present unascertained. Total amount of insurance effected upon it was £11,000 of which '&amp;2;000 was ii the Adelaide Wiirinie £4,000 in the South Australia-and £5,000,iAnthe Victoria. . .... ...